New Campaign Provides Nasal Allergy Sufferers 'Clean Sweep' Tips for Spring Allergy Season

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi-aventis U.S. today announced the launch of the Clean Sweep campaign to help guide spring cleaning for the estimated 60 million Americans who are affected by nasal allergies. This campaign helps them locate lurking allergens in their homes and improve their allergy management routine. According to a Spring Cleaning Survey of more than one thousand adults, 94 percent of respondents recognized that proper cleaning can help reduce incidences of illness including nasal allergies, yet four out of five people in the U.S. are exposed to house dust mites, the most common trigger of nasal allergy symptoms.

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"On average, Americans spend nearly 22 hours each day indoors without realizing that indoor air can be more seriously polluted than outdoor air, including allergens (animal dander, mold, house dust  mites), making it important to know the most common places for allergens to hide," said Allergen Xterminator and Certified Indoor Air Quality Professional, Jeff May. "We know that allergy-proofing your home won't eliminate all allergens or all of a person's symptoms, but the more effort you put into cleaning out the allergens, the better you may feel."

The Clean Sweep campaign encourages people to take an extra step in their spring cleaning by logging onto www.CleanSweepContest.com to view a home investigation by Jeff May which pinpoints the areas of the house where allergens often lurk. Nasal allergy sufferers have the opportunity to ask Jeff May questions as to how they can better clean their home with an eye for allergens and submit a personal testimonial on how their nasal allergies affect their daily life. The top 100 testimonials will win a signed copy of Jeff May's book My House is Killing Me! The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma.

Jeff May's tips on www.CleanSweepContest.com consist of practical and often overlooked cleaning suggestions to help sweep, dust and wash away allergens likely to trigger nasal allergy symptoms. According to Jeff May, cleaning often stirs up dust, mold, and other allergens making proper gear, including a double-strap dust mask and hair covering, an important part of home cleaning. Other tips include:

• Around the house: Use a damp or electrostatic cloth when dusting to avoid flinging dust into the air.

• In the bedroom: To kill dust mites, wash your sheets and blankets using hot water (at least 130° F) and put bulky quilts in the dryer on low heat once a week.

• In the bathroom: Clean or replace moldy shower curtains and bath mats.

• In the kitchen: Scrub often to remove food and mold from the sink and keep the area around the faucet dry.

• Outside the house: Keep windows closed while mowing to prevent allergens from entering your home.

• After cleaning: Take a shower, wash your hair and change your clothes after cleaning, and leave your house for a bit because some airborne allergens can be floating around for 30 minutes before settling.

"Due to high tree and grass pollen counts in the spring, this is the busiest time of year for me and many of my colleagues," said Dr. Michael Blaiss, clinical professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and past president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI). "Allergic rhinitis, or nasal allergies, is one of the most common chronic diseases in this country, but too often people tolerate their symptoms when they could be taking steps to better manage them. Through the Clean Sweep campaign, we are encouraging proper disease management by minimizing exposure to allergens and recognizing the importance of speaking with your doctor. With proper diagnosis and the right treatment, nasal allergy sufferers can begin to better manage their symptoms throughout the spring nasal allergy season."

Dr. Blaiss advises:  

• Millions of people suffer from allergy symptoms caused by indoor allergens, such as house dust mite droppings, animal dander, cockroach droppings and molds, so be sure to clean your house with an eye for these allergens.  

• Four out of five people in the United States are exposed to house dust mites, and three out of five are exposed to cat or dog dander, so it is very important for those with nasal allergies to be sure they are properly managing their symptoms and correctly cleaning their house.

• Nasal allergy sufferers don't have to settle if they are not getting symptom relief. Visit your physician to review your current indoor and outdoor allergy management routine.

About Clean Sweep

The Clean Sweep campaign provides simple cleaning tips to the estimated 60 million people in the United States who are affected by nasal allergies. This spring, nasal allergy sufferers are encouraged to take an extra step in their spring cleaning by logging onto www.CleanSweepContest.com to view a home investigation by Jeff May which pinpoints the areas of the house where allergens often lurk. Nasal allergy sufferers have the opportunity to ask Jeff May questions as to how they can better clean their home with an eye for allergens and submit a personal testimonial on how their nasal allergies affect their daily life.

All applicants receive an email response from Jeff May with nasal allergy and cleaning tips and a link to the XYZAL® Nasal Allergy Tool Kit to learn more about nasal allergies and the associated symptoms. A XYZAL® coupon will be sent to each entrant's home.

The top 100 testimonials win a signed copy of Jeff May's book My House is Killing Me! to provide detailed cleaning tips and techniques to sweep away hidden allergens.

Top testimonials will be featured on www.CleanSweepContest.com and www.XYZAL.com to be shared with other nasal allergy sufferers.

For more helpful tips and information on how to manage nasal allergy symptoms, go to www.XYZAL.com. Visitors can receive tips from a range of experts and join the My Xperts™ program to receive monthly e-newsletters on how to manage indoor and outdoor nasal allergy symptoms based on their particular needs.

Dr. Blaiss and Jeff May are paid consultants of sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC.  The Clean Sweep campaign is brought to you by sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC.

XYZAL® is a registered trademark of sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC.

©2010 sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC. All rights reserved

About Allergic Conditions

Many people suffer from the symptoms associated with common allergic conditions. The immune system of nasal allergy sufferers overreacts to something in the environment, leading to symptoms that affect the respiratory system, eyes, or skin. Experts estimate that indoor and outdoor nasal allergies affect as many as 60 million people in the United States.

Seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR), commonly referred to as "hay fever" or "outdoor allergies," is the most common form of allergic rhinitis. By definition, SAR includes nasal allergies to seasonal pollens like grass, trees, and weeds, as well as mold. Perennial Allergic Rhinitis (PAR) is sometimes referred to as "year round" or "indoor allergies" and is characterized by allergic symptoms that last longer than four weeks. House dust mites, animal dander, and mold most commonly trigger PAR. Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria (CIU) is most commonly known as "chronic hives of unknown origin" and is defined as the occurrence of daily, or almost daily, wheals and itching for at least six weeks with no obvious causes.

Important Safety Information for XYZAL®

The use of XYZAL is contraindicated in: patients with a known hypersensitivity to levocetirizine or any of the ingredients of XYZAL or to cetirizine (observed reactions range from urticaria to anaphylaxis); patients with end-stage renal disease with a creatinine clearance less than 10 mL/min or patients undergoing hemodialysis; and pediatric patients aged 6 months to 11 years with renal impairment.  Patients should be cautioned against engaging in hazardous occupations requiring complete mental alertness such as driving or operating machinery when taking XYZAL. Concurrent use of XYZAL with alcohol or other central nervous system (CNS) depressants should be avoided.

In clinical trials, the most common adverse reactions in greater than or equal to 2% of adult and adolescent patients (12 years of age and older) taking XYZAL 2.5 mg or XYZAL 5 mg once daily or placebo were somnolence (5%, 6%, 2%), nasopharyngitis (6%, 4%, 3%), fatigue (1%, 4%, 2%), dry mouth (3%, 2%, 1%), and pharyngitis (2%, 1%, 1%), respectively.

In clinical trials, the most common adverse reactions in greater than or equal to 2% of pediatric patients 6 to 12 years of age taking XYZAL 5 mg once daily or placebo were pyrexia (4%, 2%), cough (3%, <1%), somnolence (3%, <1%), and epistaxis (2%, <1%), respectively. The most common adverse reactions in greater than or equal to 2% of pediatric patients 1 to 5 years of age taking XYZAL 1.25 mg twice daily or placebo were pyrexia (4%, 2%), diarrhea (4%, 3%), vomiting (4%, 3%), and otitis media (3%, 0%), respectively. The most common adverse reactions in pediatric patients 6 to 11 months of age taking XYZAL 1.25 mg once daily or placebo were diarrhea (13%, 4%) and constipation (7%, 4%), respectively.

Go to www.XYZAL.com for full prescribing information.

Indications for XYZAL®

XYZAL® (levocetirizine dihydrochloride) is indicated for the relief of symptoms associated with perennial allergic rhinitis and the treatment of uncomplicated skin manifestations of chronic idiopathic urticaria in adults and children 6 months of age and older, and for relief of symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in adults and children 2 years of age and older.

About sanofi-aventis

Sanofi-aventis U.S. is an affiliate of sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to help improve the lives of patients. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY). For more information, www.sanofi-aventis.us or www.sanofi-aventis.com

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended.  Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts.  These statements include financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future events, operations, products and services, and statements regarding future performance.  Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "plans" and similar expressions.  Although sanofi-aventis' management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of sanofi-aventis, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements.  These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by sanofi-aventis, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in sanofi-aventis' annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2008.  Other than as required by applicable law, sanofi-aventis does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.

SOURCE sanofi-aventis